delica blade play

Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Messages
345
anyone else have up and down blade play in their delicas? if there is one thing i hate in a knife it is bladeplay.. next to crappy steel ofcourse..
did i get a factory lemon;or do most lockbacks have bladeplay?
 
Most lock backs have a slight amount of vertical (up and down) play. As long as it isn't ridiculously excessive it is normal and well within specifications.
 
I bought a Delica a couple weeks ago and mine is rock solid. This is my first Delica so I can't comment on how common up/down blade play is with this model.
 
My Stainless Delica is a few years old. No play up/down or side/side. By chance, I've been carrying it the last couple days and have it in hand as I type. Solid lock-up. If you are concerned, send it back to Spyderco.
 
I have owned a couple of delicas and have had no blade play issues at all. Maybe I have just been lucky though.
 
As frontline29 says , some have it and some don't but a small amount is considered normal with that lock design . . . It's the luck of the draw with production back locks but all are safe and sound if the wiggle is minute . . .
 
i feel my back lock flex when i put pressure onto things to cut them. and it feels flimsy, i sent it back to spyderco and nothing was done really...
 
All my FRN Spydercos have slightly annoying to unusable lock rock; I don't carry any of them. My G10 Cara Cara 2 is ok in that regard. Does anyone make replacement backspacers for Delicas and Enduras? I still dislike the handle shape but I think this might help.
 
All 12 of my Spyderco lock-backs have slight up-down play, unfortunately. To varying degrees. I've returned a few that had too much play for my taste (directly to spyderco) and they usually manage to find one with less- but not non-existent- bladeplay. It's a tad annoying, but can't say I've ever had a problem. Think the slight bladeplay just comes with the territory.
 
alright, majority says it normal, so i guess i shouldn't complain for a 50$ knife. i love the little thing, but the lock rock drives me crazy. now if they made a heavy duty G-10 delica..
 
alright, majority says it normal, so i guess i shouldn't complain for a 50$ knife. i love the little thing, but the lock rock drives me crazy. now if they made a heavy duty G-10 delica..

They did once upon a time. A G-10 Endura 4 as well. I had one of the G-10 Endura's. It still had a tad bit of vertical bladeplay. All my Spyderco Lockbacks, and all lockbacks I have handled have had some play. Heck, I got a Cold Steel Recon 1 that had vertical bladeplay. Lockbacks are the only locking type that I am ok with a bit of up and down play. And of course friction folders :D.
 
I own four Delicas and only one has up and down blade play. It is very minor and typical of lockbacks. My FFG blue Endura also has a tiny bit of vertical play but i have to look for it to even notice. For the person wanting zero vertical play, Spyderco makes other knives with different locks that don't exhibit this tendency. The compression and ball bearing locks are excellent as are their liner and frame lock models I have handled.

That said, the faint wiggle in my Delica and FFG Endura have never been a problem in actual use cutting things.
 
I'd totally be on board for a heavy duty delica. I'm not sure why they don't make more rated locks like they did on the old chinook. People would pay the extra in some cases, i'm sure, to have a knife they feel perfectly certain won't close on them. That being said, the lock, even on these up-down play ones, is still fully engaged and solid, it's just the whole mechanism, lockbar and all, that moves when you apply pressure in certain ways. And yes, it's only the lockbacks that have this problem. I always get a little disconcerted when i switch from a liner or compression to a lockback and feel that tiny give. . .
 
The spydie lock backs I've owned either had it out of box or developed it. I don't get why they can't eliminate it like cold steel seems to be able to do.
 
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